'Doctor Who' review: 'The Impossible Astronaut'

If you'd managed to avoid Steven Moffat's comments about this "dark" series opener, then you might initially expect 'The Impossible Astronaut' to be something of a romp. The Doctor's amusing antics through time, and another of River's humorous departures from the Stormcage facility, lead our heroes to Utah, where a fateful reunion is on the cards. The Doctor Who team's US location shooting has certainly paid off, lending these early scenes a grand scale that the series could scarcely have expected to achieve in 2005, let alone in 1963.

The episode's early sense of fun is of course merely intended to lull us gullible viewers into a false sense of security. Seven minutes in, a nation's collective jaw dropped as The Doctor - this show's lead - is mercilessly gunned down. This plot twist is simply stunning, and it's difficult to imagine even casual viewers not sitting up to pay attention at this point. On a purely parental note though, while scares for the kiddies are all well and good, it's perhaps questionable how traumatic it could be for a young child to see their hero shot to death and subsequently burnt up.

Of course, The Doctor soon returns via a timey-wimey, bumpy-wumpy plot device, and the Tardis-set scene that follows, in which the suspicious Time Lord interrogates his companions, is a particular highlight. Matt Smith is at his very best when questioning Alex Kingston's River about her past, his vaguely threatening presence a million miles away from the jolly, apple-craving man-child that we first met in 'The Eleventh Hour'. At this point, it's worth mentioning that each of the series regulars is on top form in this episode. The more abrasive aspects of Amy Pond's personality seem to have been toned down this year, and Karen Gillan responds with her best, most sympathetic performance to date. Arthur Darvill also lives up to his recent promotion to full-time companion. His comic timing is simply superb, but he excels too in the episode's darker moments.

With the series arc firmly established, the plot for this two-parter really kicks into gear. This first episode has a strong American feel, emphasised not only by the filming in Utah, but also by the ensemble lead cast and the presence of guest star Mark Sheppard, a veteran of cult shows such as Battlestar Galactica and Supernatural. The gravel-voiced actor takes on a rare heroic role here and is predictably brilliant as former FBI operative Canton Everett Delaware. The episode's other major guest star Stuart Milligan also turns in a solid performance as Richard Nixon and avoids making the President a blustering cliché. He is however slightly hampered by facial prosthetics that perhaps stray a little too far into the realm of cartoonish exaggeration.

After a brilliantly comic and exciting incursion into the White House, a deeply creepy scene in a bathroom affords us our first full glimpse of the Silents. The creatures are undoubtedly a triumph - genuinely creepy and memorable, with an interesting gimmick. But to put on my Mary Whitehouse hat once more, it's again debatable whether the unsettling scene in which a Silent confronts Amy and kills the White House staffer Joy should really be broadcast at 6pm.

As the Tardis team and Canton hunt the source of Nixon's recent phone calls, the episode's frantic pace slows a little, allowing for some nice character moments. River and Amy's discussion regarding the flexibility of time is certainly intriguing and, with The Doctor's fate in the balance, a definitive answer to the question 'Can time be rewritten?' seems like it could finally be on its way. It was an interesting decision to pair off Rory and River in these final scenes, but it works brilliantly. The two characters bring out the best in each other, as we finally see past River's bravado and get a glimpse of the broken heart beneath, while Rory silently broods over the state of his own marriage.

The episode then concludes with a magnificent double-blow of a cliffhanger, as Amy reveals her pregnancy to The Doctor and the impossible astronaut returns. Though the extended use of slow-motion is perhaps over-egging things just a little here, this cliffhanger is still one of the best that Doctor Who has ever done. Period.

All in all, this is a fantastic launch for the sixth series of Doctor Who. The only obvious criticism is that this installment and the one that follows could prove too confusing and too frightening for kids, but perhaps we're just underestimating the show's young fans? Time will tell, as it always does, but ultimately the fact that a show that's been running on-and-off for almost 50 years can still subvert expectations, and produce something as simultaneously shocking and thrilling as 'The Impossible Astronaut', is something for the Who team to be proud of.